Vending machines have been in common use for many years for purchasing a variety of items. These vending machines typically have a plurality of selector buttons or switches to allow the customer to select a specific item. Vending machines have also been produced to display advertising material from an electronic data storage unit at the time of purchase of the item.
Home computers are also in common use today for obtaining vast quantities of information from various databases. There are large numbers of database accessible by home computers through the use of a modem or other cable or telephone connection. In recent years the internet has become widely accessible by home computers for providing information to the user. Internet sites provide new entertainment and other sources of information.
Many vending machines provide vending for cans, bottles, hot and cold drinks in cups, sandwiches, candy, combs and different products. In addition to providing vending, other vending machines allow access to information which is localized and therefore, has limited use.
In recent years, there have been improvements in vending machines, including advertising, and interactive customer communication. For example, three such machines are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,670 to Bachmann, et al., International Patent No. PCT/AU89/00051 to Vogel, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,565 to Ogaki et al. These patents disclose vending machines that have prerecorded programs on tape cassette or diskette in a tape or diskette drive of the machine and a screen. The menus from the diskette, displayed on the screen, provide interactive user interface by way instructions, operation and use of the vending machine, advertising, and video games.
The vending machines mentioned above have been successful and have achieved their designed objectives but the amount of information available to the customer is limited by pre-recording.